Forensic data associated with a computing device may reveal a lot about a user associated with the device. The forensic data, which can include details regarding website history, viewed or captured images, viewed or captured audio, call history, messaging history, and more, can often be a valuable tool for law enforcement officers when a computing device is seized in the commission or investigation of a crime. However, in many instances, law enforcement officers may come across a computing device used in a crime without knowledge of the identity of any users of the device.
Some methods for identifying the user of a computing device based on forensic data can include looking up persons associated with information included in the analyzed data. For example, a law enforcement agency may identify a phone number or other identifier, such as an Internet Protocol address, associated with the device, and then find a person associated with that identifier, such as the person registered to a phone number. However, in many instances it may be difficult to such a person, such as when there may have been multiple users of a device or if the device was stolen prior to its use.
In addition, such data may be useful for identifying actions performed by a user of a computing device used in the commission of a crime before the computing device is seized. For example, law enforcement agencies may analyze the device's website browsing history to uncover additional clues or evidence. However, other useful information, particularly payment transactions conducted involving a user of the computing device, may be unavailable. While a law enforcement agency may be capable of identifying a payment card number if one is saved in the device, or view recent purchases if made online using the device, the agency may be unable to identify the full set of purchases associated with the user or payment account.
Thus, there is a need for a technical solution to link forensic data of a computing device with transaction history and purchase data, which may provide valuable information and insight to law enforcement agencies and other third parties regarding the actions and purchases made by users associated with the computing device.